Asante Employee Rallies Her Team and Breaks Miracle Jeans Day Records

Melissa Hennings has worked in Guest Services at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center for almost 20 years and is passionate about the excellent care Asante provides, especially for our most vulnerable patients – babies born prematurely or with complications who rely on the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Miracle Jeans Day, Asante’s annual employee giving campaign, gives Melissa a chance to support a cause close to her heart as she rallies multiple departments to participate in donating and celebrating. Guest Services, Environmental Services, Nutrition Services and Security at ARRMC are responsible for an impressive 5% of Asante’s total combined MJD fundraising total for 2024 – this year, they raised almost $8,000 with 50 employees each donating what they could.

For Melissa, her team’s success means more than simply bringing everyone together – Miracle Jeans Day reminds her of some of the toughest and most joyful moments of her life. 22 weeks into her first pregnancy in 2004, Melissa developed pre-eclampsia, eclampsia, severe high blood pressure and toxemia, and by week 27 was admitted to ARRMC, on strict bed rest. A week later, her son Nathan was born three months early by emergency c-section and weighed only 1 lb 9 oz. Not knowing if her son would be alright, she relied on the amazing NICU nurses and staff, and they comforted her every step of the way. The nurses took the time to explain everything, like the purpose of each life-saving piece of equipment, what each alarm sound meant and all those cords coming in and out of her tiny baby boy. Nathan stayed in the NICU for 72 days, and though the experience was exhausting, Melissa and her family are so grateful they were able to receive this high-level and compassionate care close to their home.

When Melissa became pregnant with her second child, her doctor diagnosed her with a blood disorder known as Factor V Leiden Blood Mutation, which can be a cause for pre-term births. Little Taeya came even earlier than her older brother, and was emergency delivered at only 26 weeks gestation. The risks were greater, and the family’s stress levels, higher, but the NICU staff remained a constant anchor to hope and strength. After a 113 day stay in Asante’s NICU, including one weeklong trip to OHSU Doernbecher for heart surgery, Taeya went home on oxygen, a heart monitor, and a feeding tube, and had to undergo four more surgeries before she was two years old.

Nathana and Taeya grew up healthy and thriving, and the family remains in close contact with those same nurses who saved their lives. Melissa’s family knows firsthand how extraordinary Asante’s NICU care is, and how expensive the equipment for such a specialized area of care can be. The dedication of the nurses who care for our smallest patients is priceless, but as an Asante employee, Melissa feels it is her duty to support children’s health care programs through donations, so we can ensure these vital services continue to thrive in our community for years to come. “Being close to home made all the difference during a very long and stressful time in our lives,” says Melissa, “so if we can raise money to help and support families going through the same thing, we should”.

When Miracle Jeans Day came around this year, Melissa quickly inspired four departments to donate what they could by sharing her own story. The Guest Services office was covered with colorful Children’s Miracle Network balloons, a motivating goal chart (with a goal they far surpassed!), and pictures and stories highlighting the impact of Asante’s children’s health care programs. As a reward for her team’s generosity, she organized a “pie in the eye” celebration, where employees gleefully threw pies at their most esteemed supervisors.

Manager of Guest Services, Amy Michaels, exclaimed “it’s all for the kids!” as a pie was slammed in her face, while Tony Pinon, Supervisor of Security, graciously cried, “thank you for donating!” when his overzealous team members took their shots.

Because of Melissa and all the other department captains, and more than 900 employees who donated this year, Miracle Jeans Day raised a total of $155,000! 100% of funds raised will directly benefit local kids and families who rely on Asante for life-saving care, from primary care to surgeries, to cancer treatment, to the NICU. Most employees have needed Asante’s children’s health services at one point in their lives, and it makes MJD so much more meaningful to know that if your family goes through a difficult time, your own coworkers are there to ease the burden.  

Donate directly to children’s health at Asante here: https://asantefoundation.org/donate/